Western Australia's commercial Western Rock Octopus Interim Managed Fishery is Australia's fastest growing fishery with a clear focus on sustainability.
The fishery, which extends from near Shark Bay to the South Australian border, has grown by over 250% during the last decade.
With Western Rock Octopus carrying the scientific name of Octopus djinda - a Noongar word meaning star - the fishery has also been a leading light for sustainability.
In 2019, it became the first octopus fishery in the southern hemisphere to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). It was recertified again this year and remains one of only two MSC certified octopus fisheries in the world.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is about to start work on a new two-year research project to explore the novel fishery independent, biological and economic-processing methods to underpin expansion of the fishery .
The project has received $650,260 funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian Government.
FRDC Research and Development Investment General Manager Crispian Ashby said the project aimed to support the sustainable growth of the Western Rock Octopus and its expanding fishery.
"The project is collecting critical data, providing new insights into life history and fishery potential in these regions," Mr Ashby said.
Principal Research Scientist Lachlan Strain from DPIRD's Aquatic Science and Assessment branch is leading the project, which is being run in collaboration with industry.
"We are investigating information gaps in the biology and ecology of the species to promote the sustainable development of the fishery to its natural capacity," Dr Strain said.
"This will enable a comprehensive assessment of the fishery, and the efficiency of the gear used to provide robust information to proactively manage the fishery into the future."
The project follows an ecological risk assessment of the Western Rock Octopus resource in 2024 that determined octopus fishing activities did not pose an unacceptable risk to other species, marine habitats or the broader marine ecosystem.
Dr Strain said WA's commercial octopus fishers had shown a commitment to best-practice fishing operations.
